Realist Anderson now accepts his fitness must be ‘managed’ and that he faces missing games
Peter Hayter identifies a change in tone from England’s record breaking bowler as he bids to prolong career
James Anderson says he is approaching his 15th season as an England Test cricketer in the same mindset with which he has started all the others, fighting for his place in the side and his international future.
The difference, as he prepared for Lancashire’s Championship opener against Essex at Chelmsford starting today is that this time everyone else thinks so to.
An injury-disrupted winter to follow an injury-disrupted summer has brought England’s leading Test wicket-taker and those who have only observed his outstanding career to the same conclusion. When questioned at the end of last summer over his longevity, the leader of the England attack bristled at the very suggestion that his body might be starting to let him down.
Now, however, his tone has softened markedly. Anderson responds to such a line of questioning not exactly with resignation, but certainly with acceptance that, from now on, he is going to have to be “managed”, and that playing for England is not merely going to be a matter of how well he is bowling but, at 34 and counting, how well he is holding up.
Forget the fact that, with 467 of them to his name, he is about ten matches’ worth from becoming only the sixth man to take 500 Test wickets, alongside Muttiah Muralitharan. Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh. And put to one side, for the moment, the prospect of one final Ashes series Down Under to bury the nightmare of the last one.
With the air of change that has blown in a new England captain to be taken into account as well, Anderson’s priority is the here-and-now, the next match, the next ball, the next wicket and, without putting too fine a point on it, doing all he can to avoid the next enforced absence.
“I always feel like I’ve got something to prove,” he says. “Joe [Root] knows what I can offer and what he can get out of me. I would like to think he would still want me in his team.
“But I know I am going to have to bowl bloomin’ well to keep my place.
“No matter how settled I might have been in the team over the years, it has always been my mentality to prove I am good enough for that first Test each summer. It has always been my thought process and it will be the same this year.
“I don’t really think about the 500 wickets. I have never really looked at targets, goals. I still love playing cricket and that is why I’ve been on pre-season tour with Lancashire. I still enjoy playing
with a group of guys, trying to develop my game and help others if I can.
“That’s my job and it is what I love doing. As for imposed rests, I’m in close contact with the ECB medical team, who are in close contact with Lancashire, and everyone is trying to figure out the best plan moving forward.
“Obviously, with me not getting any younger – and considering the injury problems of the last 12 months – it makes sense to manage that a bit better. So I am more open now to the fact that I might have to miss the odd game, to make sure that I don’t overbowl.”
Anderson and England are hoping that will be enough to prolong his career for as long as they need him and he wants. But, when pressed about the seriousness of his troublesome shoulder, he accepts there are no guarantees.
“Is it something that will be there for the rest of your career, or is it done?” he was asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. “That’s why, at the start of the season I am going to be managed in the first few games and see how it pulls up, suck it and see. If I get through them, fine and I’ll play a few more.”
Reassuringly, however, as we’ve come to expect from a man who has described taking wickets as an addiction from which he never wants to be cured, and once suggested he would like to be doing it at 40, a spot of raging against the dying of the light.
“Everyone I speak to says you are a long time retired so I’m going to get myself in the best possible condition to play for as long as I can. At my age I’m trying to broaden my mind to everything to actually prolong my career.”
Even if he manages to stay fit, with England’s pace bowling reserves growing healthier, Anderson knows he will have to be at his best to impress sufficiently against South Africa and West Indies to win one last trip Down Under, particularly as the Kookaburra ball has never been conducive to his major weapon, swing.
But whatever the future does hold for Anderson, he believes England’s is in good hands with Root at the helm.
“I'm really excited to see how Joe goes about it. The type of guy he is, I think he’s going to be a really positive and aggressive captain on the field.
“Actually, I think he’ll be a brilliant captain. He’s kind of been a cheeky chap in the dressing-room over the first few years of his career, so it will be interesting to see how he develops into a leader. He’s just become a dad, so he’s maturing all the time, growing up – even though he still looks like the Milky Bar Kid.”
Jimmy Anderson was speaking on behalf of BRUT Sport Style, the new fragrance from men’s grooming brand BRUT
As for imposed rests I’m in close contact with the ECB medical team who are in close contact with Lancashire